WA Over 40's - 2007 Match Reports

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WA vs TAS - Friday, September 28, 2007

First game and WA dominated for most of the 70 minutes. Ritzie (and others) effectively neutralised Perry Buckley. The forwards looked dangerous but just failed to score on a number of occasions. Tas scored a blinding goal from their first short corner. Then Ritzie equalised in the first half from a beautiful short pass from Kate Main. Just before half time, Tas got their second and last short corner. They converted it to give 100% conversion rate. Half time: 2-1. 

Second half was again dominated by WA but the score line didn't change. 

Result: WA 2 - TAS 1

Awards: Ritzie and Marj took the player awards.

Ears: Foz took the rabbit ears for opting out of her new team as soon as possible by means of a cruciate injury in the last 5mins. The umpire was excited to use the stretcher for the first time!

WA vs ACT - Saturday, September 29, 2007

Despite being a player down, WA went out keen to get a big win on the board. Within the first 2 minutes, Suzanne had driven in a glorious shot from WA's first short corner. Eight minutes later, Kate Main slipped a ball to Ali McVee who unselfishly crossed it with precision to Suzanne for an easy goal. Sensational stuff. A few minutes later and fortunes had reversed. WA easily defended ACT's first short corner….with Tall Fi ensuring their high ball did not see it to the back of the net. Triumph was short-lived as ACT followed up with one goal…and then 10 minutes later, another, to level the scores 2-2 at half time. 

Thirteen minutes into the second half, Suzanne finally got fed up with things and did a glorious lone run down to the circle, drew the goalie out to the left, then casually moved around to the right and drilled the ball into the backboard. WA then took control of the game in a comprehensive manner. With 3 minutes to go, Ritzie slipped a ball to Ducky who then crossed it back to Ritzie who neatly put in WA's fourth goal. 

Result: WA 4 - ACT 2

Awards: Suzanne (for great goals) Tikki (for a great game, stepping up as forward when required) and Ali (for great team play).

Ears: Samsa was given the ears back, temporarily, for an unsurpassed bit of coaching wisdom….("we either need someone to draw or lose" when observing Tas vs Vic). The ears were then forwarded onto Kate Main (vice captain) for not defending her coach.

WA vs QLD - Sunday, September 30, 2007

Fired up on success and some Indian curry the previous night, WA took to the field in the heat of the day to take on QLD. Within minutes, despite sustaining a corked calf ("the goalie is the player least likely to get injured" proving a rather inaccurate assertion), Wee Fi had successfully defended a shot on goal. From then on WA started to step up. Despite having no success on early short corners, WA clearly looked the danger side. Kate Main was everywhere niggling, niggling, niggling as were Ritzie and Tikki. The twins were too fast for the opposition and the tackling from Ducky, Goose (Jenny Casserly), Helen Rule and Tall Fi was fearsomely effective. Half way through the first half, Ritzie laid a beautiful midfield tackle to steal the ball and go for a run. A neat pass to Suzanne and we saw a repeat performance from the day before….only from the opposite side: she drew the goalie out, stepped around and calmly put away goal number 1. Near the end of the first half, QLD rallied a little but were thwarted in attack by a glorious clearance by Gibbo. 

Into the second half with a 1-0 lead and WA immediately went into attack….only for QLD to turn it around with a fast break, that was effectively stopped by Helen Rule who sent the ball back to the preferred half! Seven minutes into the second half, Kate Main sent a ball across to a fast moving Hennie and bang, in went goal number 2. Five minutes later, a missed short corner opportunity from Kate Main flew over the goal. So, a minute later, when Suzanne passed to Kate on the left post, a miraculous backstick ("back of stick" according to Ducky) drag zimmed into the goal…..the fact that she had disarmed her opposition in the process ("it wasn't me" she said…and in fact, it wasn't ), helped ensure its success. In the last five minutes, QLD threw everything at WA but Wee Fi and the short-corner defence team held out four times in a row to deny them even a consolation goal. A comprehensive 3-0 win to WA. Awards and ears: pending! 

Result: WA 3 - QLD 0

Awards: Kate Main, Goose and Helen Rule

Ears: Goose for clearing out the tech bench and dugout.

WA vs NSW - Wednesday, October 3, 2007

After a few days recuperation, WA took on NSW. Put under the pump in the opening minutes, Wee Fee and Marj saved the day. Play reversed and we then peppered goals with both Ali and Kate unlucky not to be on the score board early. Ten minutes later, Wee Fee again made an awesome save but a couple of minutes later, an excellent stroke (from a gallant effort on the line by our defence) found the lower right corner. For the next five minutes, WA defence was hammered but Marj and Tall Fee were just impenetrable. A midfield battle then ensued with NSW getting a little frustrated and even picking up a green card. With less than 7 minutes to go in the first half, Wee Fee again kept us in the match with a couple of great saves. Right on half time, Gibbo also made a miraculous save and coolly cleared the ball to keep us out of trouble. Half time NSW 1-0. A couple of minutes into the second half, a deflected ball from a first save passed around Wee Fee into the net. A minute later, finally a bit of luck as NSW missed a sitter with a "two on one" on Wee Fee. Wee Fee still in absolutely everything. Tiki also had a miraculous save on the line. WA under pressure but defence just unbelievable. Six minutes into the half, another great last ditch effort led to a second stroke and this time a high left stroke was just out of reach. Galvanised into action WA headed into attack with NSW lucky not to be awarded a short for deliberately hitting ball down to the other end of the field and Kate Main unlucky to deflect just over the top of the net. Henny also unlucky to find someone with her beautiful shot into the circle. Then a WA short corner with Suzanne, Kate and Ritzie just desperate to get that ball into the net, was saved by NSW. With fifteen minutes to go, three NSW players finally took Suzanne out of the game laying a disgraceful series of tackles that resulted in a very heavy fall. With six minutes to go, and defenders again under the pump, Wee Fee had her vision obstructed by players. Goose (Jenny C) dived on the line but to no avail… NSW had won the match 4-0. 

Result: WA 4 - NSW 0

Awards: Wee Fee (awesome performance) and Tall Fee.

Ears: Ducky for her "articulation" efforts in describing an igloo as a "round hut found in Africa"!!!

WA vs SA - Thursday, October 4, 2007

WA set out with a point to prove and within minutes were peppering goals with near misses from Suzanne, Goose and Henny. However, less than five minutes into the game, Tiki casually shot from an impossible angle and to the surprise of both WA and NSW, somehow, after a touch from the goalie, it managed to get over the line. A few minutes later, SA managed to get the ball into their circle but Wee Fee was way too cool for that to be an issue. For the rest of the half it was all WA with SA defence hammered repeatedly. A long delay whilst a SA defender stretchered off for a severe ankle injury provided only momentary respite. When play resumed, Ritzie brought down a high ball from a short corner and Ali scored with 15 minutes to go. In the last two minutes, Tall Fee in centre half, passed to Ritzie for another goal. 3-0 at half time. 

The second half continued similarly with SA lucky that a number of WA shots on goal from short corners were just wide of the mark. Thirteen minutes into the second half, a short corner touched by nearly every WA player was finally finished off by Tiki. Finally after being under continuous attack (with Ritzie just everywhere creating headaches…for SA), SA rallied and won a short corner. First short saved by Wee Fee, not once but twice (second save from ground level with a very elegantly raised leg!). Two more corners followed with Marj, as first runner, safely deflecting two big hits. Then another corner, and again Marj clearing the ball. With thirty seconds to go, Marj passed to Ducky, who passed a beautiful long ball to Ali down the right wing. Ali ran and then passed with precision to Suzanne, who coolly stepped around the goalie and thumped the ball into the net. 

A solid win despite two injured forwards on the bench (Kate Main and Foz). 

Result: WA 5 - SA 0

Awards: Henny and Ducky

Ears: Ears: some confusion but possible awarded to Samsa for her double pike with back flip during "Articulate" 

WA vs VIC - Friday, October 5, 2007

Within two minutes, the Vics into their circle but Wee Fee had their measure. Three minutes later, they had their first short corner but a great save by Wee Fee denied them a goal. For the next five minutes, Ritzie, Marj, Hennie in everything. Ten minutes into the game, another save by "the Feez" kept us on track. Minutes later, Tall Fee cleared a short corner and then saved a "two on one" situation. Play reversed and Ritzie made a run to our circle, unlucky not be awarded a short as the ball seen "safely" over the back line. A great game was now developing with both sides very evenly matched. A lovely ball from Ducky to Kate was unlucky not to find the net. Despite a few short corners (with both all inserters on the bench at the time), scores at half time stayed level: 0-0. The battle raged back and forth with WA unlucky not to capitalise on a number of occasions. Twenty five minutes into the game, Vic had their first real chance on goal but Goose (Jenny C) just stepped up to the high ball on the line and hammered it out to the sideline: WOW…!Three minutes to go and it was nearly our turn….with a deflected ball from Ali, just going wide of the mark. Final score 0-0 and a hard fought game. WA, despite injuries to their forward line, probably dominated overall but the Vics (who have won all games apart from a draw with NSW) always looked dangerous. 

Result: WA 0 - VIC 0

Awards: Gibbo (for top defence), Foz (for "assistant coaching") and Loz (for sensational managing). 

Ears: left behind by Samsa 

3 vs 4 Final - WA vs TAS - Saturday, October 6, 2007

There is little to report about this match. WA had 80% of play, 10 short corners and too many shots on goal to count…but lost 2-0 to Tas who made their few forays into their circle count. A good game but a disappointing result.

Result: WA 0 - TAS 2

TOURNAMENT OVER. Australian selections from the WA O40s team Australian selections from the O40s side were Suzanne Stoate for the Aust O40s and Judy Ritz for the Aust O45s. Congratulations to both for their awesome efforts.